TCBI: Establishing wireless hospital networks requires planning
BOSTON—Hospitals are one of the most challenging environments for wireless applications and each create different demands in establishing continuous connectivity, said Brian Long, CWNA, director of field systems operations at Masimo, at the third annual Medical Device Connectivity Conference and Exhibition on Sept. 9 at Harvard Medical School. The most important part of establishing wireless connectivity throughout a hospital, he said, is knowing what you want to do with it.
“Understanding the business case for the wireless network is the most important thing that can be done in establishing the correct configurations and architecture for the network,” he said. “What do you want to do with the information, what information will you have, what are the requirements?”
Hospital networks can consist of episodic data—such as voice calls, EMR applications and PCA drug library updates—as well as continuous data—which may include waveforms and real-time parametric data, according to Long. Every application that’s added to a network can further complicate it.
“Can real-time continuous data be achieved on a hospital network? The answer is absolutely yes,” said Long. “Our testing approach involves looking at how wireless is propagating throughout the environment. Once we get everything configured, we place all of the instruments in the care environment and conduct a 24-hour network performance test.”
Among the things they assess: latency, availability over the time period and the clinician experience with the system—how many notifications would a clinician get due to network dropouts that are not clinical?
Long demonstrated how one hospital revamped its network to provide a wireless system that met its needs. In looking at Masimo’s Patient Safety Net system, implemented on the orthopedic floor in Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, clinicians saw a 65 percent reduction in rapid response team calls, and a 48 percent reduction in transfers from patients to the ICU over a 10-month period, according to Long. Dartmouth Hitchcock calculated a savings of 135 ICU days.
“Plan, plan, plan your networks,” recommended Long. Understanding the requirements and how applications affect those requirements is critical, as is utilizing bandwidths and mitigating risks on the network. Equally important, he noted, is educating staff about wireless networks.
“Understanding the business case for the wireless network is the most important thing that can be done in establishing the correct configurations and architecture for the network,” he said. “What do you want to do with the information, what information will you have, what are the requirements?”
Hospital networks can consist of episodic data—such as voice calls, EMR applications and PCA drug library updates—as well as continuous data—which may include waveforms and real-time parametric data, according to Long. Every application that’s added to a network can further complicate it.
“Can real-time continuous data be achieved on a hospital network? The answer is absolutely yes,” said Long. “Our testing approach involves looking at how wireless is propagating throughout the environment. Once we get everything configured, we place all of the instruments in the care environment and conduct a 24-hour network performance test.”
Among the things they assess: latency, availability over the time period and the clinician experience with the system—how many notifications would a clinician get due to network dropouts that are not clinical?
Long demonstrated how one hospital revamped its network to provide a wireless system that met its needs. In looking at Masimo’s Patient Safety Net system, implemented on the orthopedic floor in Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, clinicians saw a 65 percent reduction in rapid response team calls, and a 48 percent reduction in transfers from patients to the ICU over a 10-month period, according to Long. Dartmouth Hitchcock calculated a savings of 135 ICU days.
“Plan, plan, plan your networks,” recommended Long. Understanding the requirements and how applications affect those requirements is critical, as is utilizing bandwidths and mitigating risks on the network. Equally important, he noted, is educating staff about wireless networks.